Apparatus for wood distillation



Dec. 15, 1 931. BRASS ET AL 1,836,305

APPARATUS FOR WOOD DISTILLATION Filed Marc} 15, 192. 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I ll II Zlwumatozg 1 7 flrass /V. 07167.: 6. (C7oland 08. 15, 1931. A F. BRASS ET AL 1 836,305

APPARATUS FOR WOOD DISTILLATION Filed March 15, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 gl V H1 6 Z l /J" i /7. X 5.1;: 1

3W fifirass 11/- 0114271 GZZIToZand WMW Patented Dec. 15, 1931 PATEN :JOFFICE i FRANxBRAss; NOAI-IJOT'I ENA ND GEORGE o. routine, or RAVEN, COLORADO MP-ARATUS ron woon- DISTILLATION" v Application filed March 15; 1927; Serial NO. ivsgsea This invention'relates to apparatu s for wood distillation and; it is an object of the inventiontoprovide an apparatus of this kind which is especially designedv and adapt-' lied for use in connection with pitch-pinion timber and wherein the timber in its treatment is subj ected to dry heat.

It is also-an object of the inventiontoprovide aniapparatus of this kind comprising 'a retort adapted to contain timber to be treated-togetherwith heating chambers arranged at opposite sides of the retort, said chambers being free of communication with the-retort. 15

provide anapp aratus-of this kind with means whereby the products of distillation are readily' collected.

The invention consists in the details of 9 construction andinthe combination and" arrangement of the'several: parts of. our improvedapparatus for wood distillationwhereby certain important advantages are attained andthe device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more'convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter morefully'set forth; i

The novel features of our invention will hereinafter be' definitely claimed.

9 In order: that our. invention 'may be" the better understood, we will now proceed to describe-the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, where1n:

what a diagrammatic character illustrating an apparatus'iconstructed in accordance with an] embodiment of our invention; Figure 2 is a view partly in vertical seo tion and' partly'in side elevation and also of somewhat-a: diagrammatic characterof th apparatus as herein: disclosed y Figure 3 is an1enlarged transverse sectional view takensubstantially on the line of: Figure: 1;; 1

Figure 4A: is afragmentary sectional view taken. lengthwise of: the cooling or condensing'trough as :herein disclosed, certain of the parts *being in i elevation; V

Eigureh isaisectional viewtaken substantially *ontthe'line155i ofFigure 4 It: isa further object of the invention to I furnace and herein disclosed as provided in Figure 1- isa-view in top'plan andof some- 7 Figure 6 isa sectional View illustratingthe discharge end portion of a drip pipe'and the parts associated therewith; Figure 7 is a sectional View of the tankX illustrating the inner construction thereof. 65'

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, F denotes a furnace the walls of which are'preferably constructed of fireclay, said furnac'eas herein disclosed having a flat bottom walll and an arcuate top wall 2 and in (I communication with the rear portion of the furnace is a flue 3. V V

The front end walla ofthe furnace Fat its central portio'misprovided with anopening through wli'ichextends a retort R cylindrical in cross section th'erwalls of which being preferably of metal. This retort R is of'a length to extend from apoint slightly in advance of the front wall4 of the furnace f F to a point slightly in advance of the rear wall 6. The port-ion of the retort R within the furnace F has its lower portion snugly engaged within'a groove or channel 7 extending lengthwise of the bottom wall 1 of the a raised portionIS of such bottom wall.

The top portion of the retort R has close contact with the top wall 2 of the furnace F whereby heating chambers 9 are provided within the furnace F at" opposite sides of the retort R and the rear portion of each ofsaid chambershaving requisite communication withthe flue 3 as clearly illustrated in Fig ure 1 of the accompanying drawings. Each of the chambers 9 at its forward portion has the fuel charging opening 10 in communication therewith through the outer side wall thereof, which provides means for introducing the necessary fuel into the chamber 9.

The fuel to heat the retort is preferably disposed within each ofthe chambers 9 at the onthe trackway T arranged within the lower portionuof the retort. This trackway T is in continuation of an exterior trackway T 300 whereby the loaded car may be readily car ried into the retort R or moved therefrom. As is illustrated in Figure 1, the trackway T is provided with a branch B for a purposeto be hereinafter more particularly referred to.

hen a loaded car C is Within the retort R, the outer or entrance end of the retort is closed by a door D.

In communication withthe forwardportion of the retort through the bottom thereof and the bottom wall 1 of the furnace F is a carryoff pipe 11 preferably having an interior diameter of twelve inches. This pipe, as herein disclosed, extends away from the retort on a downward incline and discharges into a tank X of desired capacity and preferably of a capacity of fifty-four gallons. The lower portion of this tank X has in communication therewith a drip pipe 12 adapted to discharge into a container 14.

In communication with the upper portion of the tank X is an elongated pipe 15, in practice having an interior diameter of three inches. This pipe 15 extends through a trough 16 adapted to be filled with cold water surrounding the portion of the pipe 15 within the trough. At separated points therealong are the drip pipes 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 each of which discharges into a pail 23.

The portion of the pipe 15 within the trough 16 is supported by the blocks 24: in spaced relation to the floor 25 of trough 16, thus assuring effective surrounding of the pipe 15 by the water within the trough. The drip pipes hereinbefore referred to are each preferably of an interior diameter of one inch.

It is also to be understood that the door D when closed hermetically seals the outer or entrance end of the retort R.

In practice, the pinon timber to be treated is split and loaded on a car C and the loaded car is then pushed within the retort B, after which the door D is closed. The fires within the chambers 9 are then started and the temperature within the retort raised to the desired degree. The action of the heat on 1 e timber results in a distillation of a heavy which passes out through the carry-off pipe 11 to the tank X. Tar and other heavy residues pass off through the drip pipe 12 into a receptacle 26 carried by the discharge end portion of the pipe 12 and into which said pipe 12 slightly extends. By this arrangement the tar or other residues before overflowing from the receptacle 26 into the pail 14 forms a liquid seal for the discharge end of the drip pipe 12.

The vapors passing off from the tank X are carried through the pipe 15 which is surrounded with cold water and thereby operates as a condenser. The first drip pipe 17 carries off a liquid consisting chiefly of pyroligneous acid and a small amount of tarry residue which is readily separated by settling. The pipe 18 carries off a purer form of the acid, as acetic acid, while pipe 19 carries off acid and a small amount of very light oil which will not mix and is, therefore, easily separated by drawing the acid away from the oil. The pipe 20 carries off the oils while pipes 21 and 22 carry off the creosote, alcohol and other by-products.

After the pinon timber has been properly distilled, the car C with the resultant load of charcoal is withdrawn from the retort and preferably carried off to the branch B or be yond such branch so that a second car which has in the meantime been loaded with the desired split timber can be easily run into the retort and thus permit substantially continuous use of the apparatus. 1

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that an apparatus for wood distillation constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason we do not wish to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim 1. A retort and furnace structure for wood distillation, comprising an outer furnace structure including a base and a top wall of arcuate cross sectional design, an upwardly opening flue leading from one end of the 7 structure through the top wall, a retort comprising a cylindrical body extending longitudinally through the first mentioned structure and of a diameter substantially equal to the interior height of the structure, the retort resting upon and extending throughout the central portion of said base and engaging the top wall along the center thereof, that end of the retort remote from the flue end of the structure being adapted to be opened for the introduction of material thereinto, means for carrying off products of distillation from the retort, and means for introducing fuel into the furnace structure through lateral openings in the top wall thereof.

2. In a furnace and retort structure for destructive distillation, a furnace body comprising a base wall, an elongated top wall of arcuate cross sectional design resting upon said base wall and closed at the ends, a flue opening through said top wall at one end of the body, laterally extending bodies at opposite sides of the top wall and directed toward the other end of the furnace body and further having passages therethrough to permit the introduction of fuel into the furnace body, a retort comprising an elongated cylinder resting upon and extending longitudinally of the furnace base Wall and of a diameter to contact with the central portion of the top wall, dividing the furnace body into two combustion chambers, said retort terminating in spaced relation to that end wall of the furnace body adjacent the flue and projecting through the opposite end wall, means for introducing material into the projecting end of in the retort, and means communicating with theinterior of the retort for conducting distillation products therefrom.

3. A furnace and retort structure for Wood distillation, comprising a furnace structure having a base provided with a longitudinally extending centrally arranged raised portion, an arcuate wall upon said base forming the furnace chamber, the chamber having said raised portion extending centrally therethrough, a lead-off at one end of the furnace structure, a retort in theform of a cylindrical body arranged centrally within the cham-' her and extending longitudinally thereof upon the raised portion of said base, said chamber having each end closed and said retort having one end accessible through a closed end of the chamber, a lead-off for said retort, means for introducing material thereinto, and means for introducing fuel into the 39 furnace chamber, comprising a pair of obliquely directed structures formed uponthe base at the end of the furnace structure remote from the lead-01E therefor, each of said structures having the passage extending therethrough and directed into the furnace structure toward the lead-off therefor.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto afiix our signatures. e

FRANK BRASS. e 40 NOAH OTTEN. GEORGE G. TOLAND. 

